Obama Veep speculation: Kaine?

posted at 6:35 pm on July 28, 2008 by Ed Morrissey

Since we ran with the speculation du jourfor the Republican running-mate choice, why not round it out with the hottest rumor on the Democratic side, too? And like the Republicans, hot doesn’t necessarily connote surprise. Tim Kaine has garnered today’s big buzz, but it’s not like he’s been overlooked in the past. The Washington Post and Politico both restart the Kaine Scrutiny:

Virginia governor Tim Kaine has told close associates that he has had “very serious” conversations with Sen. Barack Obama about joining the Democratic ticket and has provided documents to the campaign as it combs through his background, according to several sources close to Kaine. …

But several people who have spoken to Kaine directly said he has talked about the seriousness of the possibility. All requested anonymity, citing the campaign’s desire to keep the process secret. One said Kaine has stressed that there are other top candidates but described his discussions with Obama’s campaign as “very serious.”

Two other associates said Kaine’s staff is heavily engaged in providing the background research necessary to allow Obama’s campaign to search for potential political land mines. One source said Kaine chief counsel Larry Roberts is coordinating with Obama’s team. Roberts cold not be reached for comment. Kaine will be in Washington today for his monthly interview on WTOP.

Since campaigning together during Kaine’s 2005 gubernatorial race, he and Obama have become friends. Kaine, who like Obama has Kansas roots, has returned the favor, campaigning across the country for Obama during the primaries. In recent weeks, Kaine and his staff have been in frequent contact with Obama and the presidential campaign about strategy and operations in Virginia and elsewhere. Kaine has said he plans to attend the Democratic convention in Denver with his wife and children.

Kaine fits a couple of criteria for Obama. First, he’s an outsider, and Obama says he wants someone who can credibly join in his mission of changing the way Washington operates. That almost explicitly rules out Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, and Joe Biden, and probably even Evan Bayh to some extent. Second, it puts someone with executive experience on the ticket. Maybe most importantly, it puts Virginia into play for the Democrats, who need to turn a significant red state blue — and Virginia is probably the most likely to switch.

On the other hand, Kaine has some serious drawbacks. Other than being Governor for three years, Kaine doesn’t have much on the resumé. He has no foreign-policy experience, and no military experience, either. And as the Post mentions in its profile, Kaine hasn’t exactly set the world on fire in Virginia. Three years without any significant accomplishments will not generate excitement for this running mate, and then there’s the inconvenient matter of the budget deficit that has appeared in Virginia on Kaine’s watch.

Democrats thought enough of Kaine to have him deliver the Democratic response to the State of the Union speech in 2006, and he didn’t do too badly, but he didn’t shine either, thanks in part to the lackluster material. They haven’t had him do much nationally since then. One has to wonder whether Kaine has the substance it would take to bolster Obama — or whether his lack of substance might not appeal to those on Team Obama who worry about getting overshadowed by the running mate.

Blowback

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Kaine? I guess I’m too left-coast to know a thing about him. No doubt the Great Narcissist Showbama will not deign to name a veep who might compete for the spotlight. An unknown first-term govnuh sounds about right.

I think it’s great! It will confuse a lot of people with a ballot that says “Obama Kaine” The idiot libtards who have to read phonetically will read it as ” Oba McCain” versus “McCain” and not know what the hell to do.
Hilarity will ensue.

Let’s see. Obama needs to attract those working class whites who cling bitterly to their guns. So he chooses the govenor who signed the “gun free zone” bill that kept guns off the Virginia Tech campus?

WV didn’t have such a law, and a gunman at Appalachian Law School was stopped by someone who had a gun in his car.

Right. Has Barry even been to Kansas? If Barry has Kansas roots, then I have Illinois roots because, although I’ve only been to Illinois twice in my life (on business to Chicago) that’s where my mother was born, so hey, I’m a Midwesterner!

As for Kaine, the only thing I know about him is that he was front and center during the Virginia Tech shooting nightmare, and he was quite impressive.

Yes. Maybe that’s why Obama likes him. Tim is going to teach Obama to speak Spanish so he can hispander to the illegals and their supporters in their preferred language.

I don’t see Kaine doing that much for Obama in Virginia. Obama already has the NoVa vote; they’re mainly liberals, and they were never going for McCain anyway. The eastern part of Va. has a lot of military types, most of whom won’t vote for Obama no matter who his VP is. The central and western and southwestern parts of Va. are full of those gun-toting, Bible-thumping types who are already suspicious of Obama. Kaine, who’s not a native Virginian, probably won’t sway many of them.

or whether his lack of substance might not appeal to those on Team Obama who worry about getting overshadowed by the running mate.

Kaine is a perfect choice! Putting somebody with a career in national politics, multiple elections, foreign policy experience, national security experience, a track record……. All of that would distract from Obama’s one asset and remind the electorate he has 146 days in national office and his most significant experience before that was as a community organizer/ race baiter in South Chicago.

Truth of the matter is that Obama needs Biden or Bayh (Clinton has more baggage than a 747 and Dodd’s chances went down with Fannie Mae’s fortunes).

1) Mark Warner was a popular governor, and since Virginia doesn’t allow consecutive terms, Virginians voted in Kaine on Warner’s coat-tails.

2) The GOP nominee in 2005 was seen as a moderate, and never got the conservative base behind him.

It’s Vintage, Duh on July 28, 2008 at 6:51 PM

I agree completely – Kaine won on Warner’s merits in a race that had zero well liked candidates.

For my fellow Virginians I would like to raise a few thoughts as to what this might mean for the state.
1. If Kaine is picked does he have to relinquish the governorship? And if yes does that mean Bill Bolling becomes the sitting governor?

2. Bolling has already announced that he will run for a second term as Lt. Gov in 2009 leaving the top slot for AG Bob McDonnell, what would a one year stint as governor do to that arrangement?

3. With Terry McAuliffe pushing Kaine all of a sudden, has anyone thought that this might be a Hillary deal? I don’t mean to go all conspiracy theory, but it is not unlikely that Kaine could be a challenger for the 2012 nomination should Obama lose this round (which I personally think Hillary is going to make sure he does). Could this ploy to get him on the ticket be to take out two competitors with one stone?

The Axelrod camp seriously thinks Virginia is in play with this choice.

SouthernGent on July 28, 2008 at 7:39 PM

I’d suggest the opposite. Kaine plays much better with people that don’t know him (which is most of America). I just got a voter ID card even though I haven’t been a resident of VA since 1992. If Virginia is in play, perhaps I should reconsider my moral opposition to voting twice!

That “massive new coal-fired plant” referenced in that piece at Huffpoo is about three miles from my back door. It’s hilarious to read all of the gloom-and-doom BS being spread around here by the eco-freaks, who, of course, are all NOT FROM HERE. Everyone around these parts is all for it; even the staunchest Democrats.

I’m looking forward to the indignant protests and meaningless acts of defiance sure to come as construction begins.

I’d suggest the opposite. Kaine plays much better with people that don’t know him (which is most of America). I just got a voter ID card even though I haven’t been a resident of VA since 1992. If Virginia is in play, perhaps I should reconsider my moral opposition to voting twice!

highhopes on July 28, 2008 at 7:56 PM

According a friend of mine working for the Obamuh campaign in Virginia, it’s not really in play. It’ll be Obamuh in a landslide! Bwahahahaa

Bolling would become Gov for a year if Kaine becomes VP. I doubt Bolling would turn around and go back on his pledge to run for Lt Gov again. He’d just run in 2013 as planned and be able to claim a year of experience under his belt.

Interesting point about McCauliffe pushing Kaine. I guess one should never completely rule out a Clinton conspiracy, but I think McCauliffe has been a Kaine ally for a while and desperately wants an “in” with a possible Obama administration.

P.S. Dems were saying Kerry was going to be “close” in 2004. It ended up being 54-46 for Bush. Obama/Kaine would certainly improve on that, but no way in hell could they win by more than a point or two. Besides all the Bush voters they would have to flip, Kerry probably got some Navy votes that will go to McCain this time.

That is one creepy picture of Kaine. I live in Virginia, and I can’t think of anything the man has done. Obama can do better.

Anna on July 28, 2008 at 6:40 PM

Anna,

Aren’t all his pictures kind of creepy?

But seriously, You can’t think of anything Timmy has done? Don’t you recall how he broke about 3 of the major planks of his campaign within his first week in office? If he’d gone against this last Court ruling about Capital Punishment, he’d have 4. Everything Jerry Kilgore got blasted for saying has come true.

I think he’d have plenty to embarrass the Obie camp….that is, if it got reported. And the nation would be introduced to “The Eyebrow.”

Kaine’s a Catholic. Nothing else to recommend him for the VP slot at all. It would be seen as “we couldn’t get Jim Webb but we really want someone from Virginia.” Kaine was a zero as mayor of Richmond and a zero as Lt. Gov. He did not win the election for Governor so much as Jerry Kilgore lost it. He has no accomplishments at all.

If the Democrats want to put VA in play, Obama should pick Mark Warner, not Kaine. Warner left office with something like an 80% approval rating. Kaine’s liked well enough, but he hasn’t accomplished as much as Warner did. I doubt Obama will pick Warner–Obama needs someone who has more experience to balance Obama’s lack, and Kaine’s been in office just about the same time as Obama (i.e., not very long at all). To have on a national ticket the candidates have about 5 years of experience in higher office COMBINED would be pretty pathetic, no?

What about this scenario in VA. That Bolling runs for Gov. McDonnell runs for re-election as AG and Ken Cuccinelli runs for Lt. Gov instead of running for AG? Since even though they have all “declared” nothing will be official until we get to a convention or primary next year, and that is way after the impact of any national election is settled.

I don’t have the faintest idea what you are talking about.. but I like it, because it sounds exciting!!
—-

Also, I’ve never even heard of this guy Kaine before, so this is an excellent pick for Obama, I hope he picks him or that crazy lady, the leader of the green party McKinney. That would also be a good pick imho, anything that will generate a loss is a good pick. If he picks an idiot like Biden I will be upset, go on a starvation diet and only eat humus for a month.

Virginia holds all of its state elections on odd years – so in 2009 we have all of our 4 year state wide offices up for election, governor, lt. governor and attorney general. The Republicans have pretty much already set their ticket for all three. That would change in some way if the current Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling has to take the governorship over for Kaine. At the moment Bolling is running for re-election as Lt. Gov. not for Governor. I was just laying out a possible scenario for what would happen.

I have not enjoyed the trend of my home state (VA) while I have been living in Florida. I need to go back but hate to move to a blue state. Can anyone tell me why we aren’t making more of the fact that Dems don’t pay their bills? I remember the first time I heard about a politican welching on the bills incurred during a presidential run was John Glenn. You can hear drips and drabs about the lack of money and non payment to vendors but I think some reporter needs to make a big deal of this. The way they run their campaigns is how they run the government, writing checks they can’t cover. How does a member of congress have a home foreclosure? Must be on the banking committee.

A “cafeteria catholic” is one who gets a lot of mileage out of the use of the Catholic Church like a label yet who lives by rejecting whatever about the Catholic theology that doesn’t suit his “customizations” of how “faith” can be used for political gain.

In other words, not a Catholic, just a shopper in a line that suits the daily need for appetite. Moreorless like Obama’s version of whateverworks “committed Christian” label.

Pelosi, John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, and many more Democrats are (also) “cafeteria catholics” (little “c” intended).

The Catholic Church (capital “C”) asks all practicing Catholics (capital “C”) to avoid sin and occasions of sin, and to decline to support those who advocate sin and occasions of sin (my own summary, but it’s an accurate one, of principles of faith), and, abortion is sin. The entire Democratic Party pivots upon (platform) enabling, “protecting” and making available abortions on demand. And that’s just one “occasion of sin” and “sin” that Democrats advocate politically and socially. I support the Church when it considers withholding the Sacraments (Holy Communion, particularly) from those who allege to be Catholic and yet who live lives advocating acts and positions contrary to the faith.

I read Kaine self-promoting himself as “a person of faith” and then I look at who he devotes his time and energy to and what they represent and I wonder just what “faith” Kaine actually is involved in. So no wonder he’s drawn Obama’s attention.

I’m just saying — Freedom of Religion — that, individuals who lay claim to a title yet go about devoting themselves to terms and goals that contradict the characteristics of that title, are ingenuine, are, well, charlatans, or, to be blunt, liars. They’re deceitful, they’re deceivers, in other words.

Anyone can believe what they chose but don’t call it one thing when it is another.

I think Kaine running as VP would be a great thing. I mean, here you have Obama talking about raising taxes, then you have Kaine who recently tried to force a very large tax increase upon Virginia. At a time when prices are skyrocketing and wages aren’t, well, I think alot of people would rather not have more of their wages garnished. Although if they win they’d definately be taxing the voters….(pun intended)